Ika ni shite kaku omou chō koto o dani hitozute narade kimi ni kataran - Gosen Wakashu(English Translation & Meaning)

いかにしてかく思ふてふことをだに
人づてならで君に語らん

Roma-ji: Ika ni shite kaku omou chō koto o dani hitozute narade kimi ni kataran
English Translation: Somehow, some way,
at least that I love you so,
just that much, I long
not by another's message
but myself to tell you
Meaning: Somehow, at least this much—that I love you so—I long to tell you myself, and not through someone else.
Commentary: Book Thirteen Love Poems V 961

Headnote: "Composed when the Minister of the Left, her father, forbade it on hearing that he was secretly seeing the Superintendent of the Wardrobe Office."
The poet says that somehow he longs to tell her himself, not through someone else, at least how much he loves her. Forbidden to meet her, he voices an urgent wish to tell her with his own lips, if nothing else, how deep his feelings run.
According to the headnote, he composed it when the Minister of the Left, her father, heard that he was secretly seeing the Superintendent of the Wardrobe Office and forbade it. Poem 959 in this book was also sent to the Superintendent of the Wardrobe Office, so loves for the same woman are arranged together.
The poet, listed as "Atsutada no Ason," was Fujiwara no Atsutada. The third son of Minister of the Left Fujiwara no Tokihira, he rose to Provisional Middle Counselor. One of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals, his "aimite no nochi no kokoro ni kurabureba" is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.

The first line, "Ika ni shite," means "somehow."
The second line, "kaku omou chō," means "that I love you this much," with "chō" a contraction of "to iu."
The third line, "koto o dani," means "at least that much," with "dani" an adverbial particle marking a minimal wish.
The fourth line, "hitozute narade," means "not through another," with "de" a negative conjunctive particle. It shows that he is forbidden to meet her directly.
The last line, "kimi ni kataran," means "I would tell you," with "n," a form of "mu," expressing intention.
Author: Fujiwara no Atsutada
Source: Gosen Wakashu
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